The Hurt Locker: a war tale at the Little Theatre

By Sebastian Fryer
Western Herald

One of the year’s most critically-acclaimed films is coming to the Little Theatre this weekend.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker” stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Ralph Fiennes, Evangeline Lilly, and Guy Pearce.

The film depicts a US Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit in Baghdad, Iraq and the risks they take in diffusing bombs.

“The Hurt Locker” was written by Mark Boal, a freelance journalist who followed an EOD unit and its day-to-day tasks in Iraq.

The film is not Boal’s first experience with film; in 2007, his non-fiction story, “Death and Dishonor,” was adapted into “In the Valley of Elah,” which was directed by Paul Haggis (“Crash”), and starred Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, and Susan Sarandon.

The film takes place in 2004 during the beginning of the Iraq war and follows new EOD unit leader Sergeant First Class William James as he and his team diffuse improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.

A topical and intense drama, critics have been praising the film with some of the year’s best reviews.

Sukhdev Sandhu of the Daily Telegraph described “The Hurt Locker” as “a super-sharp, nerve-shredding thriller that reveals more about the realities of contemporary military conflict than most documentaries.”

“One of the greatest American films of the decade,” said Allan Jones of UK magazine Uncut. “Certainly the best American movie since “There Will Be Blood”, shocking, overwhelming and unforgettable.”

“The Hurt Locker” has also been featured in many top 10 lists of the year, even placed fourth on Time Magazine’s “The Top 10 Everything of 2009” list.
However, not all reviews have been positive.

“Often gripping at a straight thriller level, but increasingly weakened by its fuzzy psychology, Kathryn Bigelow’s “The Hurt Locker” doesn’t bring anything new to the table of grunts-in-the-firing-line movies,” Derek Elley of Variety said.

“The Hurt Locker,” which received a ten-minute standing ovation at its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival is now coming to Kalamazoo via the Western Film Society.
WFS is an RSO that aims to bring critically-acclaimed films that haven’t seen a wide release to Kalamazoo.

“It’s a very intense view of real things that are happening in the world,” WFS President Justin Gibson said.

Gibson noted that any students interested in joining the WFS during the next semester should contact him or visit the RSO’s Web site for more information.
“We’re looking for new members all the time,” Gibson said.

“The Hurt Locker” will be screened at the Little Theatre on Friday, Dec. 11 and Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. and 9:30 pm, and Sunday, Dec. 13 at 2:30 p.m. and 5  p.m.
Tickets are $5 for the general public and $3 for students with a valid ID.

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Posted by heraldstaff on Dec 9 2009. Filed under A & E, Weekend Scene. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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